Improvement in pile-driving mechanisms



E. LARKINY PILE-DRIVING'MECHANISM.

Ne.181,788 1 Patented Sept.5,1876.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFIo EDWARD LARKIN, OF HAVRE DE GRACE, MARYLAND.

IMPROVEMENTJNFILE-DRIVING MECHANISMS.

' Specification forming part of Letters Patent No.18 [,788, datedSeptember 5, 1876; application filed August 10, 1876.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD LARKIN, of Havre de Grace, in vthe county ofHarford and State of Maryland, civil engineer, have invented certain newand useful Improvements in Pile-Driving Mechanism, .of whichimprovements the following is a specification:

It is the object of my invention to start the pile in alignment with theguides that control the course of the driving-hammer, and to maintainthis alignment during the whole time the pile is beingdriven, towhatever depth under waterit may be desired that the head of the pileshall be sunk; and, to these ends, my invention consists in combiningwith the pile-driver a swinging sleeve or tube, so suspended from thepile-driver frame, or from the floating scow which carries thepile-driver, that the center of this swinging sleeve or tube will be inline with the center of the hammer, and will continue in this line whilethe pile is being driven within the sleeve, this swinging sleeve or tubeextending from about the water-level to about the point to which thehead of the pile is to be sunk; and my invention further consists incombining'with the piledriver and ,the swinging sleeve or tube afollower, which oo-operates with the sleeve in maintaining the alignmentbetween the pile within the sleeve and the falling hammer, until thehead of the pile has been driven to the desired depth under water.

The accompanying drawings, which form part of this specification,exemplify the principle and mode of operation of my invention.

Figure 1 is a side view, in elevation, of a piledriver mounted upon afloating scow, with my swinging sleeve or tube, the follower, and thepile within the sleeve, shown in section. Fig. 2 is an end elevation ofthe floating scow and the pile-driver mounted thereon, with a front viewof my swinging sleeve, the follower, and the lower end of the pileprojecting below the sleeve. Fig. 3 is a transverse section, on anenlarged scale, of the follower, and Fig. 4 is a transverse section, onan enlarged scale, of the swinging sleeve or tube.

The sleeve A may be of any form-round, rectangular, or polygonaland ofany suitable material, its internal diameter being somewhat greater thanthe largest diameter of the piles to be driven.

I have used, with entire satisfaction, for driving piles of eighteeninches maxi-mum diameter,- an octagonal sleeve or tube, having aninternal diameter of nineteen or twenty inches, and made of four-inchoak planks fitted together, and banded with iron, as shown in Figs. 2and 4 of the drawings. The length of the sleeve or tube will conform .tothe depth of water, or the distance between the surface and the bottomof the space through which the head of the pile is to be driven. I haveused a sleeve of about forty feet in length.

I suspend this sleeve or tube below the frame or supportB of thepile-driver, by strong 7 rods a a pivoted at their respective ends tothe frame or supports of the pile-driver, or to beams projectingtherefrom, or from the scow, I and also pivoted to the sides of thesleeve or;

tube by-horizontal bolts, which can readily be detached, (shown in Fig.2,) so that in all cases the center of the sleeve or tube shall be inline with the center of the driving-hammer, the sleeve being free toswing on its bolts within certain limits. I have found, in practice,that a range of about four inches is sufficient for the swing of thesleeve or tube.

The follower 0 consists, preferably, of a section or sections of thewell-known Reeves wrought-iron column, described in Letters Patent No.35,582, gran ted to SamnelJ.Reeves under date of June 17, 1862, forcolumns, shafts, braces, &c.

In the upper end of the follower is fitted a plug of cast-iron, c, witha flanged top, which covers the end of the column, and prevents it frombeing wedged or jammed by the hammer. This plug is secured by a pin orboll, d, passing through the column and into the plug, or through both,in such case securing it by a screw and nut, as shown in Fig. 3. In thelower end of the follower is secured, in like manner, a similar plug ofcast-iron, with a flanged bottom, through which projects a strong pin,E, which will be driven into the head of the pile, and thus the followerwill co-operate with the sleeve in maintaining the pile in alignmentwith the driving-hammer.

Where it is requisite, by reason of the depth of water, or for otherreasons, to join two or more sections of the columns to obtain thedesired length of the follower, the adjacent ends of the sections arefitted with a cast-iron plug, F, having a flange, f, around its centerso that the respective ends of the sections will be covered andprotected by the upper and lower surfaces of this flange, while the bodyof the plug strengthens the joint, as is seen in Figs. 1 and 2. Theseplugs are pinned or bolted in place above and below the flange, asalready described, and exemplified in Fig. 3.

The maximum diameter of the follower should be substantially less thanthe internal diameter of the sleeve or tube, so as to allow for somerange of play or motion of the sleeve, as already described.

The operation of my improved mechanism is as follows: The pile-driverbeing duly located in its desired position, and the sleeve or tube dulysuspended therefrom, as before described, a pile is hoisted up anddropped into the sleeve, the flexible connection between the pile-driverframe and the sleeve or tube preventing any strain or torsion of eitherof them. If the pile is so long that it projects above the sleeve afterits lower end has reached the bottom, it will be driven down in theordinary way by the hammer falling directly upon the pile, until thehead of the pile has reached the water-level, or the top of the sleeveor tube. To drive the head of the pile to any required distance withinthe sleeve or tube, the follower is placed upon the pile, and between itand the driving-hammer, and the blows of the hammer are transmittedthrough the follower to the pile. As the pile is driven and the followergradually descends within the sleeve or tube, it will be seen that theyco-operate in maintaining the alignment of the pile with the hammeruntil the last blow is delivered.

The follower is then removed, the sleeve is unbolted from its support,and hoisted clear of the driven pile, again hung in place, and anotherpile let down into it for a repetition .of the driving operation, asalready described.

Having thus described the objects and nature of my invention, what Iclaim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination, with apile-driver, of a swinging sleeve or tubesuspended therefrom, and extending from about the surface nearly to thebottom of the water, or of the space through which the head of the pileis to be driven, substantially as and for the purposes set forth,

2. The combination of apile-driver, a swinging sleeve or tube suspendedtherefrom, and extending from about the surface to the bottom of thewater, and a follower extending from the head of the pile being driveninto and-above the swinging sleeve, and in line with the driving-hammer,substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto affixed my signature.

EDWARD LARKIN.

In presence of- HUG-H T. HUGGINS, WM. GREENLEAF.

